With airbag devices, particularly driver-side airbags housed in the central part of the steering wheel and passenger-side airbags housed in an instrument panel (instrument panel), fast inflation of the airbag is essential. On the other hand, there is also a need to reduce the incidence of damage to the head or neck of any occupants. In particular, there is a great need to lower the injury values of passengers who are positioned too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel.
The invention disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-335203 comprises two air bags positioned on the left and right relative to the occupant, the occupant side ends of which are connected by a tie panel.
However, when the airbags of the invention disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-335203 are inflated, there is a danger of the tie panel contacting (applying a shock to) the head or neck of the occupant, aggravating his or her neck injury value. Such a problem occurs not only in out-of-position situations where the occupant is too close to the steering wheel or instrument panel, but also when the occupant is seated normally. Furthermore, the addition of the tie panel increases the number of components, which reduces cost efficiency and complicates the manufacturing process.